Magnus Carlsen vs Boris Gelfand, World Blitz 2009

English Opening (A33) · ½-½ (Draw) · 74 moves · Round 37 · 18 November 2009

♔
White
Magnus Carlsen
½ – ½
Black
Boris Gelfand
♚
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Moves
0 / 147

About This Game

Game summary

  • WhiteMagnus Carlsen
  • BlackBoris Gelfand
  • Result½-½ · Draw
  • EventWorld Blitz 2009
  • Round37
  • Date18 November 2009
  • OpeningEnglish Opening (A33)
  • Length74 moves
  • Type of eventBlitz and bullet

This is game 18 of 45 between Magnus Carlsen and Boris Gelfand in the Rama Chess database (2005–2022). In all their games Carlsen leads 19–5 with 21 draws.

Previous game: Gelfand vs Carlsen, 0-1 (World Blitz, 2009).

Next game: Carlsen vs Gelfand, 1-0 (19th Amber Blindfold, 2010).

Carlsen vs Gelfand: all 45 gamesAll Carlsen games at World BlitzCarlsen in the English OpeningCarlsen games of 2009Boris Gelfand profile

The moves of Magnus Carlsen vs Boris Gelfand, World Blitz 2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.Nf3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6 6.a3 Be7 7.g3 Qb6 8.Nf3 O-O 9.Bg2 Rd8 10.O-O d5 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Na4 Qa6 13.Be3 Bg4 14.Bc5 Re8 15.Bxe7 Rxe7 16.e3 Ne5 17.Nc3 Rd8 18.Rc1 Ree8 19.Kh1 Ne4 20.Nxd5 Qe6 21.Nc7 Rxd1 22.Nxe6 Rxf1+ 23.Rxf1 Bxf3 24.Nd4 Bxg2+ 25.Kxg2 Rc8 26.Rd1 g6 27.f3 Nf6 28.Kf2 Nc4 29.Rc1 Nd6 30.Rd1 Nf5 31.Ne2 Rc2 32.e4 Ne7 33.b3 Nc6 34.Ke3 Rb2 35.Rd3 Rc2 36.h4 Ne5 37.Rc3 Rxc3+ 38.Nxc3 Kf8 39.Nb5 Nc6 40.Nd6 b6 41.g4 Ke7 42.Nb5 Nd7 43.b4 a5 44.bxa5 bxa5 45.f4 h5 46.gxh5 gxh5 47.e5 Nc5 48.Nd6 Ke6 49.Ne8 Ne7 50.Ng7+ Kd5 51.Nxh5 Nf5+ 52.Kf3 Nxh4+ 53.Kg4 Ng2 54.Nf6+ Ke6 55.Nh7 Ne3+ 56.Kf3 Nc4 57.Ng5+ Ke7 58.Ke2 Nxa3 59.f5 a4 60.e6 f6 61.Nf3 Nb5 62.Kd2 a3 63.Kc2 Ne4 64.Kb3 Ned6 65.Nh4 Nd4+ 66.Kxa3 N4xf5 67.Ng6+ Ke8 68.Nf4 Ng7 69.Kb4 f5 70.Kc5 Ke7 71.Kd5 Nb5 72.Ke5 Nc7 73.Ng6+ Ke8 74.Nh4 1/2-1/2

A marathon in which Magnus Carlsen was paired against Boris Gelfand at World Blitz in 2009. It was played in round 37. The game dates from the modern computer-influenced era.

From English Opening (A33) the players entered a flexible, manoeuvring struggle. Openings in this group reward patient build-up and a feel for pawn structure.

At 74 moves this was a long, demanding struggle that rewarded stamina and precise endgame technique.

Magnus Carlsen is one of the grandmasters featured in the RamaChess archive, where you can browse their complete game collection, favourite openings and notable wins.

Games like this are useful at every level: opening principles for beginners, middlegame plans for club players, fine technique for experts.

In the end, the game was drawn between Magnus Carlsen and Boris Gelfand. Use the board above to replay every move, switch to the analyser for engine evaluation, or open Practice mode to test your own ideas.

Frequently asked questions

What is the head-to-head record of Magnus Carlsen and Boris Gelfand?

In the 45 games between them in our database (2005 to 2022) Carlsen leads 19–5 with 21 draws. This game is number 18 of 45.

Where and when was Magnus Carlsen vs Boris Gelfand played?

At the World Blitz, round 37, on 18 November 2009.

Who played this game?

This game was played between Magnus Carlsen (White) and Boris Gelfand (Black), at World Blitz in 2009.

What opening was played?

The game used English Opening (ECO code A33). A flexible, manoeuvring struggle.

What was the result?

The game was drawn between Magnus Carlsen and Boris Gelfand.

How long was the game?

The game lasted 74 moves (147 plies).

Can I replay this game move by move?

Yes. Use the interactive board on this page to step through every move, or open the analyser and Practice mode.

Where can I find more games like this?

Browse the full English Opening collection, Magnus Carlsen's complete game archive, and thousands more grandmaster games in the RamaChess archive.

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